Bottle case structure



March 28, 1939. H. A. CARTER 2,151,896

BOTTLE CASE STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 15, 1935 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

. 4'5" transit or storage thereof.

Patented Mar. 28, 1939 PATENT OFFICE BOTTLE CASE STRUCTURE Herbert A.Carter, Norwood, Ohio, assignor to The Burger; Brewing Company,

Cincinnati,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio 7 Application October 15, 1935, Serial No.45,103-

7 Claims.

' The presentapplication relates to a bottlecase structurev such may beused in the packaging of bottle beer, soft drinks; and the like. I 7 Anobject of the invention is to provide an im- 6- proved and simplifiedcover structure for bottle cases. Another object offthe invention is toprovide a cover structure of the character stated, which I, willpreclude entry of light into the case and upon the contents thereof;while at the .same time precluding theft or substitution of the bottlesof the case, unless the cover is destroyed and the theft or substitutionthus made evident.

A'iurther object of the'invention is to provide a coverstructurewhichln'ay' be manufactured at aminimum cost of production, and whichpermits free access to the handholes of the case, while thecover isstretched taut across the tops of the bottles.

Another object is to provide a simple and inexpensive gripping orsecuring means adapted to freely receive portions of the coverto begripped, while at the same time resisting removal of the I cover'to theextent of tearing it in the event of 25 an attempt to remove the cover.v

The foregoing and other objects are attained bythe means describedherein and disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross section of a bottle 30 case taken on lineI of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2'2 of Fig. 1.

' Fig. 3 is a side view of a gripper or holding member for thecoversheet. 36 Fig. 4 is a fragmental plan view'taken on line 4-4 ofFig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing a modified form of gripperor holding means. I Fig. '6 is aperspective viewof a 'modified form 40'of cover sheet. I v

Ihe present invention is directedto improvements upon existing bottlecase structures embodying flexible covers adapted to be torn in theattempt to removethemfrom the case during The primary objects of thepresent inventionandimprovements have been set forth, so that thefollowing description may be clearly understood;

Referring to Figs. 1' and 2 which show a bottle 50 case, the charactersI and 8 indicate opposed end walls of the case having handholes 9 and 10formed therein near the top edges I2 and i3 of the end walls. The sidewalls of the case are indicated by the characters 14 and 15, and the 55Wall lsprovides a bottom for the case. The case preferably. is dividedinto compartments by means of longitudinal interior walls l1 andtransverse interior. walls N3, the compartments being intended toreceive individual bottles I9.

Interiorly of the case, and attached to the opposite end walls thereof,are located one or more grippers or holding elements 20, each of saidelements being constituted of a base portion 2| adapted to abut an endwall and to be secured thereto. As disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, the.gripm per's or holding elements are nailed or screwed to the end wallsas indicated at 6. In the modified form disclosed in Figs. 3 and 4, thebase portion 2! has a series of extending prongs 22 punched from thematerial of the base portion 2! w and adapted to be driven into thematerial of the case ends. In the second modification of Fig. 5, thereis provided a punched-out prong 22 and an aperture 23, the prong to bedriven into the end wall, and the aperture being adapted to receive ascrew, nail, or other securing means.

It is to be understood that various other modes of attaching the baseportion 2| to the case wall may be employed if desired.

Each gripper or holding element preferably is constructed of springmetal, with slits 24 formed in one or both sides thereof to provide theextending sharpened prongs 25 which are adapted. to permit readyinsertion of a cover sheet between the holding element and the innerface of the 30. end wall, but to penetrate the material. of the coversheet upon an attempt to withdraw the sheet from the space between theholding element and the wall. By preference, the upper end of eachgripper or holding element is turned away from the end wall, asindicated at 26, to guide the ends of the cover sheet into holdingrelationship with the grippers.

The cover itself is preferably a rectangular sheet of flexible materialsuch as cardboard, paper, fiber, or the like, and it comprises arectangular top or horizontal portion 2'! and opposed rectangular endflaps 28 and 29 adapted to depend from the top or horizontal portion soas to be subjected to the action of the grippers 2B. It should be notedthat the top or horizontal portion of the cover is considerably shorterthan the distance between the end Walls 1 and 8 of the case. Morespecifically, the length of said top or horizontal portion approximatesthe dis- 5o tance across the tops of the bottles, which distanceincludes the caps of those bottles which are adjacent to the oppositeend walls. By thus reducing the length of the top or horizontal portionof the cover, there results an initial taut condition of the top portionwhen the depending end flaps thereof are inserted behind the grippers orholding means 20, so that the cover may not be lifted or arched at itsmiddle portion sufiiciently to permit removal or substitution of bottlesof the case without tearing the cover.

Attention is directed to the fact that each of the depending end flaps28 and 29 of the cover is substantially rectangular, and has a straightterminal edge 39 adapted to contact the case ends along a straight linebelow the handholes, from one side wall of the case to the other. Theeffect of this construction is to exclude the entry of light into thecase and upon the contents thereof, it being well known that light isinjurious to the various types of beverages. It is important to notethat the shortened top or horizontal portion 21 enables the dependingflaps 28 and 29 to reach the grippers without covering the handholes 9and Ill, so that free access of the handholes is provided for. Thisconstruction also effects a saving of cover material, and as the entirecover sheet maybe made rectangular, the cover sheet may be manufacturedwithout waste and at a minimum cost of production. Although thehandholes are not closed or covered by the depending flaps, a light sealis effected by means of a substantially straight line contact of theterminal ends 30 of the flaps against the inner faces of theirrespective case ends, at a location below the handholes. The dependingflaps 28 and 29 may be definitely distinguished from the top orhorizontal portion of the cover sheet by means of transverse score lines3I and 32, if desired. I

The construction herein disclosed provides for a decided inclination ofthe end flaps 28 and 29 from the tops of the endmost bottles down to thelocation of the grippers, so that the handholes are readily accessibleand with the further advantage that, in such positions, the flapswillnot yield inwardly toward the bottles when the top portion 2'! of thecover is arched in the attempt to remove or replace bottles of the case.

Fig. 6 discloses a modified form of cover having end flaps I28 and I29corresponding to the flaps 28 and29, respectively, of Fig. 1, and inaddition, side flaps I39 adapted to abut the side walls of the caseinteriorly thereof. As the cover of Fig. 6 is not substantiallyrectangular, it is somewhat more expensive to manufacture than is thecover disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2. The cover of Fig. 6, however, mayreadily be substituted for the cover of Figs. 1 and 2, if desired.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a bottle case comprising end walls havinghandholes therein located below the level of the tops of bottles placedupright within the case, a sheet-like cover comprising a horizontal topportion of a length considerably less than the distance between the endwalls of the case and adapted to overlie the tops of bottles therein,and flaps depending from opposite ends of said horizontal top portion tosubstantially a line-contact relationship with the end walls of the caseat a location below the handholes, and means for securing the flapswithin the case.

2. The combination of a bottle case comprising end walls havinghandholes therein located below the level of the tops of bottles placedupright within the case, a sheet-like cover comprising a horizontal topportion of length considerably less than the length of the case butapproximating the length of an imaginary straight line drawnlongitudinally of the case and limited to include the tops of theendmost bottles of a row of bottles extending lengthwise of the case,flaps at opposite ends of the horizontal top portion of the cover, anddepending therefrom at a location close to said endmost bottle tops, tomeet the case ends at an'angle and along a line of contact below thehandholes, whereby the handholes are left uncovered by the flaps, andmeans for securing the flaps within the case 3. The combination of abottle case comprising end walls having handholes therein located belowthe level of the tops of bottles placed upright within the case, aflexible sheet-like cover com prising a pair of end flaps, and anintermediate horizontal top portion of a length considerably shorterthan the space between the case ends, but approximating the length of animaginary straight line just sufilcient to span the tops of all bottlesin a row extending lengthwise of the case, said flaps at the oppositeends of the foreshortened top portion having terminal edges, and meansfor fixing said edges relative to the adiacent end walls of the case ata location below the handholes thereof, whereby the flaps are maintainedinclined toward the tops of the aforesaid endmost bottles so as toeliminate such slack in the cover as would enable arching the topportion sufliciently to permit removal or substitution of bottles in thecase.

4. The combination of a bottle case comprising end walls extending abovethe tops of bottles placed upright within the case, a flexiblesheet-like cover comprising a horizontal top portion of a lengthconsiderably less than the distance between the end walls of the case,but approximating in length the length of an imaginary straight linedrawn through the tops of all bottles in a. row extending lengthwise ofthe case and limited in length to the distance across the tops of allthe bottles in said row, and flaps at opposite ends of the foreshortenedtop portion and including terminal edges fixed relative to the adjacentend walls at a location considerably below the level of the bottle tops,whereby the flaps are maintained inclined toward the tops of theaforesaid endmost bottles so as to eliminate such slack in the cover aswould enable arching the top portion sufliciently to permit removal orsubstitution of bottles in the case while the cover is in positionthereover.

5. The combination of a bottle case comprising end walls havinghandholes therein located below the level of the tops of bottles placedupright within the case, a destructible sheet-like cover comprising ahorizontal top portion of a length considerably less than the distancebetween the end walls of the case and adapted to overlie the tops ofbottles therein, substantially rectangular flaps on the foreshortenedtop portion of the cover, said flaps being extended downwardly andinclined toward the adjacent end walls of the case so that the flaps aswell as the top portion embrace the tops of the endmost bottles of thecase, thereby to obviate slack in the length of the cover, and meanswithin the case for maintaining the terminal ends of the flaps incontacting relationship with the end walls at a location below thehandholes.

6. The combination of a case comprising end walls and containing rows ofsmall-mouthed bottles placed upright within the case, a sheet-like covercomprising a horizontal top portion of length considerably less than thedistance between the end walls, said length approximating ning of thetops of the endmost bottles of a row of bottles extending from one endwall to the other, flaps at opposite ends of the foreshortenedhorizontal top portion of the cover and depending from said endmostbottle tops to meet the case ends at'an angle below the level of thebottle tops, and means for securing the flaps within the case.

7. The combination of a case comprising end walls and containing rows ofsmall-mouthed con tainers placed upright within the case, a. sheetlikecover comprising a horizontal top portion of length considerably lessthan the distance between the end walls, said length approximating thelength of an imaginary straight line drawn longitudinally of the caseand limited to spanning of the tops of the endmost containers of a rowof containers extending from one end wall to the other, flaps atopposite ends of the foreshortened horizontal top portion of the coverand depending from said endmost container tops to meet the case ends atan angle below the level of the container tops, and means for securingthe flaps within the case.

HERBERT A. CARTER.

